Hot Sports Blog

Report: NFL New Alignment Of Divisions

2006-12-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com news services

The NHL has floated the idea of realigning its six current divisions into four, mainly aligned with time zones, according to a story on TSN of Canada's Web site.

According to the report, six club executives met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this week to consider potential plans. They're taking ideas from those talks back to their teams, TSN reported.

Among the ideas:

• Reducing the current six divisions to four, with two in the Eastern Conference and two in the Western Conference. There would be one eight-team division and one seven-team division in each conference.

• The top two finishers in each division would be guaranteed the top four playoff seeds. The four other playoff qualifiers in each conference would be based on point totals.

• The Northeast Division -- which includes Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo and Boston -- would remain intact and add two other teams to form a seven-team division. Pittsburgh is one of those teams that would join the Northeast, sources told TSN.

• The current Atlantic Division (the three New York-area teams plus Philadelphia) would join the four teams from the current Southeast Division (all but one of Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Florida).

• The eight-team division in the Western Conference would feature all teams in Pacific or Mountain time zones (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Colorado and Phoenix).

• The seven-team division in the Western Conference would feature teams that are in either the Central or Eastern time zones.

The NHL is considering the changes to help with travel and to keep televised games in the same time zones to maximize ratings.

Carmelo Anthony Won't Appeal 15 Game Suspension

2006-12-22T12:31:00.000-05:00

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Bill Duffy, who heads the firm that represents Anthony, said Thursday morning that the league's leading scorer decided he "doesn't want to be a further distraction" by appealing the lengthy ban handed down by NBA commissioner David Stern after last Saturday night's brawl at Madison Square Garden.

"It's Melo's wish to just keep the focus on basketball," Duffy told ESPN.com. "In his words, he's just going to take [the suspension] and keep the focus on keeping himself ready."

League rules enable players to appeal any league suspension longer than 12 games to an independent arbitrator. Because the Nuggets' home game Wednesday was snowed out, Anthony still has to sit out 14 more games, meaning Anthony is likely restricted to practicing alongside new teammate Allen Iverson until Denver hosts Memphis on Jan. 22, unless the Phoenix game is rescheduled between now and then.

Nuggets swingman J.R. Smith, according to the Denver Post, has formally appealed his 10-game suspension. Appeals for suspensions spanning 12 games or less, however, are heard by Stern himself, giving Smith little hope that his penalty will be reduced.

For each game they miss, Anthony and Smith are docked $42,673 and $12,614, respectively. That amounts to nearly $641,000 for Anthony and just over $126,000 for Smith.

Calvin Andrews, Anthony's primary agent with BDA Sports, said earlier this week that it would be Anthony's call whether to proceed with an appeal, even though Players Association chief Billy Hunter has expressed confidence that he could get the ban reduced, as seen after the Indiana-Detroit melee when an arbitrator sliced the suspension of Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal from 25 games to 15.

"Melo's first mind is to say: 'Hey, that's the punishment and I'm willing to take it. Let's move on,' " Andrews said. "If you go back into the history of people of punching people, no one's got 15 games. So if you look at precedent, yeah, it's excessive. If you look at the situation in the post-Detroit Era, I could see why it happened. That doesn't mean you've got to like [the suspension]."

Anthony was contrite Tuesday when he discussed the suspension with Denver reporters for the first time.

"I think it's embarrassing," Anthony said. "I was doing good out there. For a situation like that to happen in the heat of the moment ... [you're] doing so good one second and then the next second you're back down to the bottom. I've got to live with it. I live and learn from my mistakes."

Anthony was referring to a strong 2006 in which he was largely celebrated for his strong summer performance with Team USA, a new level of production for the Nuggets and, most recently, his donation of $1.5 million for a youth center in his home town of Baltimore.

Smith has said he feels responsible for Anthony's suspension. New York's Mardy Collins chopped down a driving Smith late in the Nuggets' 123-100 victory, leading to a scuffle between Smith and New York's Nate Robinson that dropped both players into a baseline section of fans and culminating with Anthony punching Collins. Robinson and Collins were hit with suspensions of 10 and six games.

"I feel embarrassed for myself, my team [and] Carmelo especially, because I think I really put him in a situation where he has to miss 15 games," Smith said. "Most of all, I'm upset about my family. I know they're embarrassed from my incident. They were sitting in the front row [at the game]. I wish it never happened."

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Who Wants Barry Bonds?

2006-12-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Greatest Slugger of His Time sits at home in California, jobless and teamless.

In a very different world, he would be the hottest free agent of them all at one of baseball's strangest winter meetings of them all -- a session that has practically turned into a bat free zone.

Barry Bonds is waiting for some team to give him a shot at Hank Aaron's home run record.

But we don't live in that world. So when the name "Barry Bonds" comes up, the room gets quiet. The atmosphere gets mighty uncomfortable.

If this were a heat of the Olympic 100 meters, you could envision everyone in the field breaking the world record. That's how fast some of these GMs are trying to sprint away from Barry Bonds.

"Barry will play next year," his agent, Jeff Borris, told ESPN.com again this weekend, "unless he gets hit by a bus."

But the question baseball men keep asking is: Where?

The only logical answer continues to be San Francisco. But if you've paid any attention to the players the Giants have chased this winter, could it possibly be more obvious that The Greatest Slugger of His Time isn't the No. 1 item on their grocery list?

They threw massive dollars at Alfonso Soriano. They're believed to have offered Carlos Lee $1.5 million more a year than he got in Houston. They've tried to deal for Manny Ramirez – and they're still trying to deal for him, even after being told initially they didn't have enough to get him.

"They had so much interest in those other guys, and they've got so much interest in Manny," says an executive of one club that has talked to the Giants, "that clearly, they don't want to bring Barry back."

Bonds, not surprisingly, has come to the same conclusion. And he's not happy about it.

"Their actions indicate he's not very high up on their priority list," Borris told ESPN.com, after the Giants declined to offer Bonds arbitration Friday night. "I think, for the last 14 years, they've taken him for granted … and they're taking him for granted now. I think they're thinking, 'He would never leave us.' But that may be a big miscalculation on their part."

Actually, that isn't quite what the Giants are saying. Not that they're saying much at all.

"We've had conversations with him and his representative, and those conversations are continuing," said the Giants' executive vice president and COO, Larry Baer. "Other than that, I don't want to get into it. We've talked. We continue to talk. We haven't broken this off at all. And that's really all I prefer to say."

OK, fine. But the Giants' actions have said plenty.

"If they can get Manny, or if they could have signed Lee or Soriano, then they'd have the perfect excuse not to re-sign him," said an executive of another club. "But I don't think they're going to wind up with Manny. And if they don't, I don't know if they have any excuses left. Then they can't say: 'We couldn't bring him back because we have a better option.' "

"Obviously, the guy can still hit. But is the payoff worth the headache? If you sign him, you start by having to answer questions for a month about 'How can you bring this guy into your organization?' Then you have to sit there all through spring training and deal with 15 ESPN reporters hanging around every day."

So The Barry Watch this week really starts with The Manny Watch. If Ramirez goes elsewhere, or stays right where he is, the fact is: There doesn't seem to be another middle-of-the-order masher for the Giants to go get.

The free-agent shelves are empty, unless they can convince themselves -- and their fan base -- that Ryan Klesko or Trot Nixon or Cliff Floyd is that kind of bat. And right now, other than Manny, there's no thumper like that to trade for, either (Pat Burrell, anyone?) -- although Vernon Wells and Mark Teixeira could wind up being out there at some point.

But let's assume, for now, that no other cleanup force falls out of a fog bank and lands on home plate at AT&T Park. Let's assume the Giants do come to the apparently grudging conclusion that they have no better option than Barry.

Even then, it's still not a fait accompli.

The Giants have shown they have many dollars to spend, after allowing players making well over $50 million to become free agents. When the team didn't offer Bonds arbitration Friday, at least one message that sent was that the Giants want him to take a pay cut if he returns. But when the haggling is done, money shouldn't be the ultimate reason Bonds stays or goes.

So what will be the ultimate reason? Say hello to that 40-ton gorilla in the hotel ballroom.

There isn't a Ouija board in America that can tell the Giants, or anyone else, what lurks in Bonds' off-the-field future. That's a question only grand jurors and federal prosecutors can answer for sure.

But the impact of the grand jury's continuing fascination with Bonds is a gigantic factor here. How do the Giants, or any team, casually throw an "indictment clause" into a contract like this? Good luck getting The Greatest Slugger of His Time to sign off on that.

And even if there's no indictment, you don't need us to tell you why that grand jury and those prosecutors are out there digging. The reason they're digging is the same reason just about every team outside the 415 area code is running from a man who sits a mere 21 home runs away from Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.

It's obvious that the pooh-bahs at Major League Baseball don't want to see Barry Bonds become the man who breaks that record. So no wonder the conspiracy theories seem to outnumber the bidders these days.

"I'm starting to buy into the theory that no one is going to sign him," said one assistant GM. "When Tom Hicks in Texas comes out one day and says, 'We'd be interested,' and then two days later says, 'No way,' you have to wonder if somebody somewhere said something to him. Don't you?"

Heck, yeah, you do. But a high-ranking official of a team that has, at times, shown at least mild interest in Bonds insisted the blackball theory is both immoral and fictional.

"That's not happening," the official said. "If it is, I'm not aware of it. No one has said anything to us. I know that."

Then again, maybe no one has to. Clubs that have contemplated signing Barry can see all the sideshows he'd bring them on their own. They don't need anybody at MLB to draw them a picture.

"Obviously, the guy can still hit," said one AL executive. "But is the payoff worth the headache? If you sign him, you start by having to answer questions for a month about 'How can you bring this guy into your organization?' Then you have to sit there all through spring training and deal with 15 ESPN reporters hanging around every day.

"Then, when he gets closer to Aaron, you have an even bigger pain on your hands, with all the attention and the reporters and the controversy. So you have to ask yourself: 'Is it really worth putting my face next to this guy's and having to answer those questions for the next six months?' "

It's getting increasingly clear that the conclusion most teams have come to when they ask themselves that question is: no thanks.

Borris continues to say, though, that the outside world is greatly underestimating the level of interest in his most famous client.

Asked how many teams have serious interest in Bonds, Borris replied: "I don't want to comment on that right now. But I will say that a number of teams are intrigued by the possibility of Barry playing for them. There are teams we've spoken with that weren't even on our radar, that are interested in Barry playing there."

But how many teams is that? An official of one club rumored to have had interest says, flatly: "I don't know of anyone else [besides the Giants] that's interested."

The list of teams connected with Bonds in some rumor or other this offseason has included everyone from the Padres, A's, Angels and Mariners on one coast to the Red Sox, Orioles, Marlins and even the Devil Rays on the other coast. But we haven't found one team that will admit it has done more than just poke around – at least so far.

And still the Giants aren't a lock to sign the guy. Apart from all of the factors we've already laid out, there is another issue that the Giants have already lived with for way too long – and clearly would love to fix before they bring Barry back. It's an issue that actually has several prongs:

All indications are that the Giants are spending a lot of their time these days trying to figure out what, if anything, they can do about any of that. But knowing what we know about Barry, it's hard for us to envision his giving in on this front.

He's a man who has gotten very used to doing things his own way. And his position, no doubt, will be: "If you want to sell tickets and cash in when I break Hank's record, the other stuff comes with the territory. Period."

So what do the Giants do then -- tell him to take a hike?

"You know what," said one executive. "I think, if he's out there, they'll face unbelievable pressure to bring him back. Even if they trade for Manny, if Barry is still sitting out there, you don't think people are going to be asking why they're not signing him? The people of San Francisco want to see him break that record. That's the one constituency in America that loves him. So no matter what else happens, there's a lot of pressure there to bring the guy back."

But now that Borris has lashed out at the Giants for not offering arbitration, he has introduced a whole new plot twist -- that Bonds is so insulted, he might not want to come back.

"There's no hard feelings," Borris said, with no discernible trace of empathy. "This is not Barry's first contract. He understands this is just business. He understands the Giants have a business plan that doesn't include him. But in all fairness, Barry's business plan might not include them, either."

So what better place for everyone to firm up those business plans than the winter meetings, smack dab in the middle of Disney World, the happiest place on earth? But if the Giants can't make the Greatest Slugger of His Time happy this week, he'll need someone else to step up besides Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto.

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

NBA Players File Labor Changes Over New Ball

2006-12-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The players' association filed two unfair labor practice charges Friday against the NBA over issues with the new ball and the league's crackdown on player complaints.

The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

A number of players publicly have complained about changing the ball from leather to a microfiber composite. Although players are adjusting to the new ball, they're having a much harder time with the crackdown on reactions after the whistle, often referred to as a "zero-tolerance policy."

NBA commissioner David Stern enacted the policy, saying players were reacting too strongly after calls, and it has led to an increase in technical fouls called this season.

With players fined for each technical they receive, union director Billy Hunter told The Associated Press last month that legal action could be the next step if Stern didn't tell the referees to "back off."

There were 175 unsportsmanlike technicals called through 225 games this season. There were 120 through the same number of games last season.

"Our obligation to represent our membership dictates the filing of these actions," Hunter said in a statement. "There is virtual unanimity amongst the players about their concerns and intense dislike for the new synthetic ball and the 'zero tolerance' policy.

"After extensive consultation with our membership and player leadership we determined that this was the appropriate course of action."

NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league was "reviewing what they have filed."

The players feel they were entitled to have input on both changes before they were put into play. In its release, the union said the "zero-tolerance policy" was implemented without any consultation or advanced notice as required "according to the terms of the National Labor Relations Act and the 2005 NBA/NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement."

The section of the CBA regarding On-Court Conduct, states, in part:

"Prior to the date on which any new rule promulgated by the NBA becomes effective, the NBA shall provide notice of such new rule to the Players Association and consult with the Players Association with respect thereto."

The crackdown isn't a new rule, however, but rather a point of emphasis. Under Stern's directive, players are fined $1,000 for each of their first five technicals. The fine increases by $500 for each five after that, capped by a $2,500 penalty for each one starting with the 16th. A one-game suspension also comes at that point and for every other technical thereafter.

Players also argue they weren't involved in the decision to use a new ball. The league unveiled it in June and sent one to its teams and all players before the start of training camp. It also was used in the All-Star Game and during summer league play.

Superstars such as Shab and LeBron are among those who have blasted it, and many others have complained that it feels and performs far differently than the old leather ball, criticizing the way it bounces off the floor and the rim.

McNabb May Miss '07 Season

2006-11-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb could be sidelined between eight and 12 months after having surgery Tuesday to repair a torn knee ligament.

McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the second quarter of the Eagles' loss to Tennessee last week. It was his third season-ending injury in mid-November in the last five years.

Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed the reconstructive knee surgery in Birmingham, Ala. Head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said McNabb also needed expected repairs to his meniscus. He added there was a "good" chance McNabb will be healthy for Philadelphia's season opener, which would be about nine months.

"Donovan, with all his injuries, he works hard and expedites it," Burkholder said. "We're setting it up so he can be back for training camp."

Jeff Garcia replaced McNabb as the starter and the Eagles lost 45-21 to Indianapolis on Sunday night to fall to 5-6 after a 4-1 start.

The Eagles also learned they'll be without long snapper Mike Bartrum for the rest of the season because of a neck injury. Bartrum, also a third-string tight end, made the Pro Bowl last season on special teams.

McNabb, who turned 30 on Saturday, was having one of the best statistical seasons of his eight-year career. He finished with 2,647 yards passing, 18 TDs, six interceptions and a passer rating of 95.5.

He had surgery for a sports hernia and missed the final seven games last season when Philadelphia finished 6-10 a year after going to the Super Bowl. Mike McMahon was 2-5 as the starter after McNabb went down.

McNabb also sat out the final six regular-season games in 2002 before returning for the playoffs. Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley led the Eagles to a 5-1 record in McNabb's absence.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

Coker fired by Miami after .500 season

2006-11-25T00:13:00.000-05:00

Miami fired football coach Larry Coker on Friday, a day after the Hurricanes beat No. 18 Boston College 17-14 to salvage a 6-6 season to become eligible to play in a postseason bowl game.

Coker was informed of the decision by athletics director Paul Dee early Friday. Coker has three years remaining on a contract that pays him nearly $2 million annually, and the school will owe him between $2.4 million and $3 million in a buyout.

"The university has made a decision to change head coaches for our football program," Dee said at a news conference.

If Miami is invited to a bowl game, Coker will coach the team.

"I'd like to certainly end on a positive note," Coker said.

Coker, 58, won more games in his first six seasons than any other Hurricanes coach except Dennis Erickson, and he has won more games since 2001 than all but five Division I-A coaches.

Coker had a 59-15 record, a winning percentage of nearly 80 percent, and won a national championship in 2001 and played for another title the following season.

"There were a lot of issues, but certainly the direction the program was going was certainly one," Dee said. "I wouldn't say that was totally it, but if you want to look in that direction, that was one. There were disappointments. There were opportunities, I think, to play better and we didn't. It all comes to the head coach."

There are plenty of potential candidates to replace Coker, including former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who is close with Miami president Donna Shalala; Rutgers coach and former Miami assistant Greg Schiano; and Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Schiano has been targeted by several of Miami's influential boosters as the top choice to replace deposed coach Larry Coker, a school official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach on Friday.

Dee said the university will hire a coach as quickly as possible, and that Chuck Neinas, former Big 8 commissioner and president of the College Football Association, had been hired as a consultant.

Coker's teams were 4-2 against rival Florida State, 3-0 against Florida and won two BCS bowl games, including a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl, which gave the Hurricanes their fifth national title.

But the Hurricanes slipped considerably the last two seasons, after they won their first 25 games under Coker, a former Miami offensive coordinator, who was elevated to replace Butch Davis following the 2000 season.

Things began spiraling out of control quickly this season.

The Hurricanes lost 31-7 at Louisville on Sept. 16, falling to 1-2 and out of the national-title mix, needed a last-second interception just to beat winless Duke, and then matched the school's longest losing streak in nine years. Also, senior defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed outside his apartment complex on Nov. 7, adding more torment to a team already reeling from its on-field issues.

Miami was also involved in a brawl with Florida International on Oct. 14, a sideline-clearing melee that led to the suspension of 18 FIU players and 13 Hurricanes players. It was something "that took a lot of heart out of our team," Coker said.

"We have suffered disappointments and tragedy off and on the field," Shalala said in a statement. "We can and will do better for our student-athletes and our community. ... We need a new start."

Miami went 9-3 in 2004 and 2005 and salvaged a .500 record this season after beating the Eagles. The Hurricanes will probably play in the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho or the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

The crowd of 23,308 at the Orange Bowl for the Boston College game was the smallest in Miami's 44 home games since Dec. 4, 1999.

"Coach Coker is a smart guy, a wonderful guy, a passionate guy," Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe said Thursday night after the regular-season finale. "A lot of guys were playing with him in their minds."

Coker came to Miami on Feb. 10, 1995, hired by then-coach Butch Davis to be the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator. And he had six often-rocky years as the guru behind Davis' offense, with perhaps the most stormy time before now coming in September 2000.

Miami lost at Washington 34-29 and Coker was the target of widespread ire by fans, some of whom faxed letters to local media outlets demanding he be fired. A "Fire Coker" rally was supposedly scheduled at the school's baseball field, but no event took place.

And by the end of that season, Coker was revered.

The 2000 Hurricanes averaged 42.6 points and 460.8 yards per game, ending the season with 10 straight wins after that loss in Washington -- and things kept rolling for nearly two more full seasons.

Davis resigned on Jan. 29, 2001, to become coach of the Cleveland Browns. About a week later, after Miami reportedly offered the job to Alvarez and then-Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt, the Hurricanes ultimately turned to Coker -- who had never been a head coach beyond the high-school level.

He went undefeated and won the national championship in his first season, then ran his winning streak to 24 the next year and got the Hurricanes back into the national-title game -- where they lost in double overtime to Ohio State, 31-24.

It was the final time Coker would play for the national crown with the Hurricanes. Miami went to the Orange Bowl and beat Florida State to end the 2003 season, then settled for consecutive Peach Bowl trips that capped 9-3 seasons in 2004 and 2005.

Miami's offensive totals have declined each of the last five years under Coker. The Hurricanes ranked sixth in total offense in 2002 but have sputtered to the 80th-best mark so far this year.

Information from ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press is included in this report

Morneau edges Jeter to win 2006 AL MVP

2006-11-21T18:32:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Justin Morneau won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, edging Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees after a season in which his 34 homers and 130 RBI helped the Minnesota Twins capture their division.

Morneau received 15 first-place votes, eight seconds, three thirds and two fourths for 320 points in voting by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Jeter got 12 firsts, 14 seconds, one fourth and one sixth for 306 points.

"Last night even I was saying I don't expect to get it. I might have given myself maybe a 50-50 chance," Morneau said. "I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment if I didn't get it."

Three Twins finished among the top seven in the MVP voting. Joe Mauer won the AL batting title this year and Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana won the AL Cy Young last week.

"That says a lot," Morneau said. "I'd love to play my whole career here. We have a great young team."

Boston's David Ortiz was third with 193 points, followed by Oakland's Frank Thomas (174), Chicago's Jermaine Dye (156) and Mauer (116). Santana got 114 points, receiving the other first-place vote.

It was the 16th-closest MVP race since the current format began in 1938 and the 10th closest in the AL.

Morneau hit .321 in helping the Twins win the AL Central for the fourth time in five years. Jeter batted .344 with 14 homers and 97 RBI, finishing three points behind Mauer, who became the first catcher to win an AL batting title.

Morneau became the second Canadian-born player to win an MVP following Colorado's Larry Walker in 1997. He is the third Canadian-born athlete to win an MVP in a major pro league this year, following Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton.

Walker telephoned Morneau as the first baseman was arriving at the Metrodome.

"He just wanted to call and say congrats," Morneau said. "He said he thought he was more excited than I was. He said, 'Just wait, it's going to be crazy.'"

Walker, a coach for Canada, autographed a bat for Morneau at the World Baseball Classic in March.

"To Justin, make Canada proud," Walker wrote.

"I thought that was pretty cool," Morneau said.

Morneau is the fourth Minnesota player to win following Zoilo Versalles (1965), Harmon Killebrew (1969) and Rod Carew (1977).

Earning just $385,000 in his third season as a regular, Morneau proved a bargain. Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, voted NL MVP on Monday, made $355,000.

Ortiz earned a $100,000 bonus for finishing third in the voting. Thomas, who left the Athletics last week to sign with Toronto, received a $100,000 bonus for placing fourth. Dye got $60,000 for fifth.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

Federer Routs Blake To Win Masters Cup Championship

2006-11-20T17:35:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

SHANGHAI, China -- James Blake learned what has become a fact of life on the tennis tour.

"Obviously, we're all chasing Roger," he said. "It's no secret. He's playing head and shoulders above the rest of us."

Looking more imposing with every tournament, Roger Federer concluded another overpowering season Sunday by routing Blake 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 for his third Masters Cup title.

The Swiss star has been ranked No. 1 since Feb. 2, 2004, and already has enough points to ensure he'll break Jimmy Connors' record of 160 consecutive weeks atop the rankings by the end of February. Only two players (Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray) beat Federer this year.

He finished the season with 12 titles and 16 finals appearances from his 17 tournaments, winning $8.34 million. Already the first player to exceed $7 million in prize money in a season, Federer earned $1.52 million for his unbeaten run in Shanghai.

"To finish it off by winning the Masters Cup, the world championship so to speak, it's the perfect ending to an incredible season," Federer said. "There's not much more I could have done."

No argument from Blake, who needed 34 minutes to even get on the scoreboard. After the first set, Blake sat in his courtside chair with his shaved head in hands, most likely wondering what to do next.

"I did my best, and he was just a level above," Blake said.

The American will finish the year at a career-high No. 4 after entering the Masters Cup as the eighth-ranked and last qualifier.

He beat No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko in the round-robin stage and then ousted defending champion David Nalbandian in the semifinals. Facing Federer, though, was another matter.

"Although it looked like I got just destroyed out there, I feel like I'm still one of the best in the world," Blake said. "That's why I'm not ashamed of anything that happened."

Less than 24 hours after Federer dismantled Nadal in the semifinals -- giving him back-to-back wins against the 20-year-old Spaniard after five consecutive losses -- he took Blake apart.

Blake failed to hold serve until the second game of the second set. Even then he had to save two break points.

"The first set he killed me," Blake said. "I thought I got better -- I actually finally broke him in the third set."

Even Federer, who is 22-2 in Masters Cups, was taken aback by the thoroughness of his victory.

"It's quite surprising to come out and beat a fellow top 5 in the finals so convincing," he said. "I had to laugh at one stage how well I was playing.

"I always came up with a great answer, I was in control pretty much all the time. Everything I wanted to do worked."

Federer reached the finals at all four majors this year, and only his loss to Nadal at the French Open deprived him of a season Grand Slam. He finished the year with a 92-5 record and a 29-match winning streak. Connors' mark is particularly appealing to him.

"That is definitely one of the big records so far in my career," he said. "I'm waiting for that date to come along, and then I'll celebrate it, not right now."

Blake quickly discovered that the all-or-nothing approach that worked for him earlier in the tournament did not unsettle Federer. The scoreline became so lopsided that the crowd cheered raucously for all of Blake's points. By the third set, even Blake was applauding some of Federer's winners.

"I appreciate the support you gave me when Roger was giving me a lesson," Blake told the crowd at Qi Zhong Stadium. "I'm honored to be considered a colleague of his."

Blake's only break came when Federer was serving for the match at 5-2. But that merely delayed the inevitable by minutes. Federer served out at love the next time, setting up triple match point with a backhand down the line and winning when Blake netted a return.

"I've probably run out of adjectives to describe him on the court to talk about his excellence," Blake said. "He's just unbelievable."

Blake said he was proud of his year, coming back from career-threatening injuries and the death of his father in 2004 to be into the top five.

"After this whole week, I know playing against these top players, that I feel like I belonged," he said. "Maybe next year I'll get closer. ... I hope one of these days I get a win over him."

Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi combined for their first Masters Cup doubles title, defeating Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 6-2, 6-4.

O.J. 'If I Did It' Book, Television Interview Canceled

2006-11-20T17:32:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- After a firestorm of criticism, News Corp. said Monday that it has canceled the O.J. Simpson book and television special "If I Did It."

"I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman. "We are sorry for any pain that his has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."

A dozen Fox affiliates had already said they would not air the two-part sweeps month special, planned for next week before the Nov. 30 publication of the book by ReganBooks. The publishing house is a HarperCollins imprint owned -- like the Fox network -- by News Corp.

In the projects, Simpson speaks in hypothetical terms about how he would have committed the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Goldman.

Relatives of the victims have lashed out at the now-scuttled publication and broadcast plans.

"He destroyed my son and took from my family Ron's future and life. And for that I'll hate him always and find him despicable," Fred Goldman told ABC last week.

The industry trade publication Broadcasting & Cable editorialized against the show Monday, saying, "Fox should cancel this evil sweeps stunt."

One of the nation's largest superstore chains, Borders Group Inc., said last week it would donate any profits on the book to charity.

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of murder in a case that became its own television drama. The former football star and announcer was later found liable for the deaths in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Goldman family.

Judith Regan, publisher of "If I Did It," said she considered the book to be Simpson's confession.

The television special was to air on two of the final three nights of the November sweeps, when ratings are watched closely to set local advertising rates. It has been a particularly tough fall for Fox, which has seen none of its new shows catch on and is waiting for the January bows of "American Idol" and "24."

The closest precedent for such an about-face came when CBS yanked a miniseries about Ronald Reagan from its schedule in 2003 when complaints were raised about its accuracy. The Reagan series was seen on its sister premium-cable channel, Showtime, instead.

One station manager who had said he wasn't airing the special said he was concerned that regardless of whether Simpson was guilty, he'd still be profiting from murders.

"I have my own moral compass and this was easy," said Bill Lamb, general manager of WDRB in Louisville.

For the publishing industry, the cancellation of "If I Did It" was an astonishing end to a story like no other. Numerous books have been withdrawn over the years because of possible plagiarism -- most recently Kaavya Viswanathan's "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life" -- but a book's removal simply for objectionable content is virtually unheard of.

Sales had been strong, but not sensational. "If I Did It" cracked the top 20 of Amazon.com last weekend, but by Monday afternoon, at the time its cancellation had been announced, the book had fallen to No. 51.

Michigan Deserves A Rematch Of Ohio State

2006-11-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

In the game of the century, Ohio State held on to beat Michigan 42-39, despite loosing the turnover battle by 3.

Still, Michigan deserves a chance at the National Championship. Why?

Think, what teams deserve it more than them. Notre Dame's only loss was to Michigan, so Michigan has to be ahead of Notre Dame's. It wasn;t a close game, Michigan demolished them early in the season.

The only team one win team which I would consider ahead of Michigan is USC, but they play high quality opponents these next two weeks (Cal today and Notre Dame next week), but come one. Michigan's only loss was by 3 points to the best team in America ON THE ROAD.

They definitely deserve to get a rematch, but this is the BCS, so anything is possible.

Bo Schembechler Dies At 77

2006-11-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In the end, Michigan vs. Ohio State may have been too much for Bo Schembechler's failing heart.

The man with half-century-old roots to The Game died at age 77 on Friday -- the eve of perhaps the biggest matchup in the storied rivalry's history, No 1 vs. No. 2, and his doctor said it might have been because of all the excitement.

Schembechler, who became one of college football's great coaches in two decades at Michigan, collapsed at the studios of WXYZ-TV in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, where he taped a weekly show. He was pronounced dead a little more than two hours later at nearby Providence Hospital.

"It's fair to say Bo wanted to live his life with vigor," said Dr. Kim Eagle, Schembechler's physician. "Ironically, he and I were going to see each other yesterday, but he wanted to address the team."

Could the stress of Saturday's game have caused his death?

"I believe that's entirely possible," Eagle said.

Schembechler had a device that worked as a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted just last month after his heart raced as he left the same TV studio.

Doctors said he didn't have a heart attack Friday as much as his heart just quit working.

"The electrical part of the heart was working fine, but the mechanical part was not working," said Dr. Shukri David, the hospital's head of cardiology. "The heart was sending signals to the heart muscle to contract. The muscle was not responding."

Getting worked up before a big game was nothing new for Schembechler. He had a heart attack on the eve of his first Rose Bowl in 1970 and another one in 1987, and had two quadruple heart-bypass operations. He also had diabetes.

"The fact that he lived to this day is nothing short of a miracle," Eagle said.

Schembechler played for Woody Hayes at Miami of Ohio, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Hayes at Ohio State and then, in his first season at Michigan in 1969, knocked off Hayes' unbeaten Buckeyes.

"This is an extraordinary loss for college football," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in a statement. "Bo Schembechler touched the lives of many people and made the game of football better in every way. He will always be both a Buckeye and a Wolverine and our thoughts are with all who grieve his loss."

This year's Michigan players, who were toddlers when Schembechler's career was winding down in the late 1980s, were somber Friday afternoon as they left the building that bears his name and boarded buses for the 3½-hour drive to Columbus, Ohio.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who was hired by Schembechler in 1980, wiped a tear off his cheek as he sat in the front row of the first bus that pulled out of Ann Arbor.

"We have lost a giant at Michigan and in college football," Carr said in a statement. "There was never a greater ambassador for the University of Michigan, or college football, than Bo. Personally, I have lost a man I love."

Schembechler's health prevented him from traveling to road games in recent years, but he planned to watch the 103rd Michigan-Ohio State matchup at home on his new 50-inch TV.

A moment of silence is planned before the game.

Schembechler was a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year, compiling a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89. His record in 26 years of coaching was 234-65-8. He never had a losing season.

"I'm not sure he has gotten his due as far as being one of the truly great football coaches of all time," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "I'm going to miss him."

Schembechler was 11-9-1 against the Buckeyes. From 1969-78 he opposed Hayes in what's known as "The 10-Year War" and Michigan was 5-4-1 during that stretch.

"It was a very personal rivalry," Earle Bruce, who succeeded Hayes as coach, once said. "And for the first and only time, it was as much about the coaches as it was about the game.

"Bo and Woody were very close because Bo played for Woody at Miami of Ohio, then coached with him at Ohio State. But their friendship was put on hold when Bo took the Michigan job because it was the protege against mentor."

Thirteen of Schembechler's Michigan teams either won or shared the Big Ten championship. Fifteen of them finished in The Associated Press Top 10, with the 1985 team finishing No. 2.

Seventeen of Schembechler's 21 Michigan teams earned bowl berths, but despite a .796 regular-season winning percentage, his bowl record was a disappointing 5-12, including 2-8 in the Rose Bowl.

The mythical national championship eluded Schembechler, but he said that never bothered him.

"If you think my career has been a failure because I have never won a national title, you have another think coming," Schembechler said a few weeks before coaching his final game. "I have never played a game for the national title. Our goals always have been to win the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl. If we do that, then we consider it a successful season."

His last game as Wolverines coach was a 17-10 loss to Southern California in the 1990 Rose Bowl. One week later, Schembechler, who also had been serving as Michigan athletic director since July 1988, was hired as president of the Detroit Tigers.

Schembechler's signature moment as athletic director probably came in March 1989, when basketball coach Bill Frieder accepted a job at Arizona State on the eve of the NCAA Tournament.

An angry Schembechler declared, "A Michigan man will coach Michigan, not an Arizona State man." He refused to accept Frieder's 21-day notice and named assistant Steve Fisher the interim coach. The Wolverines went on to win the national championship by beating Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime.

Schembechler's tenure as Tigers president from 1990-92 was less rewarding.

He was blamed for firing beloved broadcaster Ernie Harwell after the 1991 season, but WJR general manager Jim Long later said he was the one who did not want Harwell back. Schembechler hired extra coaches for every farm team, upgraded all the facilities and introduced football-style strength and conditioning programs. But those moves bore little fruit at the big-league level.

The Tigers' last winning season was in 1993 until they advanced to the World Series this season.

Tigers owner Tom Monaghan fired Schembechler as Tigers president the day before he sold the team to Mike Ilitch in August 1992 -- and 13 days before Schembechler's wife, Millie, died at age 63 of adrenal cancer. Schembechler sued, claiming Monaghan had broken a contract the Domino's Pizza owner had jotted down on a napkin. They settled out of court in 1994.

Schembechler was an intense disciplinarian, and his gruff persona belied devotion to his players, both during and after their playing days in Ann Arbor.

"He preached the team from Day One, and it's still being taught now," offensive guard Reggie McKenzie, who played for Schembechler from 1969-71, said when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

McKenzie said Schembechler's iron hand almost prompted him to quit. But he added: "I learned to beat him by doing it the right way every time, all the time. That's the attitude we had at Michigan."

Schembechler was born April 1, 1929, in Barberton, Ohio. He graduated in 1951 from Miami of Ohio and earned a master's degree in 1952 at Ohio State.

After serving in the Army, Schembechler held assistant coaching jobs at Presbyterian College in 1954 and Bowling Green in 1955, then joined Ara Parseghian's staff at Northwestern in 1958 before returning to Ohio State as an assistant to Hayes.

Schembechler became head coach at Miami of Ohio in 1963, winning two Mid-American Conference titles in six seasons. In 1969, he took over a Michigan program that had endured losing seasons in six of the previous 11 years.

Schembechler was inducted into the Miami University Hall of Fame in 1972, the State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1992, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993.

Bo and Millie Schembechler, his second wife, had one son, Glenn III. Schembechler and his third wife, Cathy, married in 1993.

"We truly lost a great man, husband, coach and mentor," former Michigan running back Billy Taylor, who played on Schembechler's first team in 1969, said from his car outside Schembechler Hall. "People like Bo come around once in a lifetime."

Michigan #2 @ Ohio State #1 Preview

2006-11-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

By Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- What's striking about the Michigan defense is not the way it has become the best run defense in nearly 50 years, or how at least three starters have a good chance of shaking NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's hand as first-round picks next April.

It's the way that knowledgeable football people talk about the Wolverines.

"You'll be impressed with Michigan," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said, unprompted.

"They've got a defensive line that we'd all like to have," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said.

You hear coaches and analysts speak of athleticism -- not a word often utilized to describe a front seven. But the defense that has led Michigan to an 11-0 record and a No. 2 ranking, the defense charged with the responsibility of slowing down Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith on Saturday, is big and fast.

Defensive end LaMarr Woodley is the leader of a line so talented and deep that it has 25 of the team's 40 sacks. Blitzes? Who needs blitzes to pressure the quarterback?

The Michigan run defense is the best in a generation. The Wolverines are allowing only 29.9 yards per game, which, if it holds up, would be the lowest in major college football since 1959.

There are other, subtler clues within the statistics.

Michigan's opponents have attempted 402 passes. The next highest total in the conference is 353. Opponents have rushed the ball 249 times against the Wolverines, the lowest total in the nation. By comparison, Michigan tailback Mike Hart has 278 carries by himself.

What that says is that people don't even try to run anymore. Only Minnesota, which rushed for 108 yards, has finished a game against Michigan with more than 60 yards on the ground.

"LaMarr Woodley seems like he has been around forever," Mason said. "He's athletic as all get-out. I really like [nose tackle Terrance] Taylor. He gives you problems on the inside. [Tackle Alan] Branch moves extremely well for a big guy. The linebackers are very athletic. The secondary is really good. If the guys are good and physical at the back end, you've got a great defense."

Only a season ago, the Wolverines allowed 345.2 yards and 20.3 points per game. This season, the totals are 231.5 and 12.1, respectively. That's one of the big explanations for the improvement from 7-5 to 11-0. The biggest difference in the defense is the booming voice and 12-cylinder engine that is defensive coordinator Ron English.

"Coach English is a guy who's just fired up all the time," Woodley said. "He's ready to go."

Even as the defense struggled the last several years under former coordinator Jim Herrmann, the secondary, coached by English since 2003, shone. After last season, English accepted a job with the Chicago Bears. Before a week had elapsed, Herrmann had left Michigan to become the New York Jets' linebacker coach and Carr had hired English back to run the defense.

Neither players nor coaches will go into detail about the difference between last year and this year. Michigan is famously private about its inner workings. Any question about a flaw -- even one a year old -- is met with resistance, usually polite. But this much is true, judging from interviews: The defense last season suffered from an overstuffed playbook. English brought a dose of simplicity and a double dose of want-to. To paraphrase the great defensive coordinator James Carville,

"It's the quarterback, stupid."

"We asked them to play fast, play physical," said English, 38. "You have to play fast, knowing what to do. … With the talent we had, if I could get them to play fast and play physical … once they learn their roles, they're not thinking, they're reacting."

The players sound the same refrain.

The key to stopping Smith, said Woodley, a co-captain, is "every guy on the defense doing what he's supposed to do, doing his responsibility. … You don't find any guy on this defense that's trying to do anything extra by making plays. He's just doing what he's coached to do."

Added senior linebacker David Harris, "It's everybody knowing their assignment and everybody getting to the ball every play."

Freelancing is out. Finding the ball via a straight path is in. Michigan's 40 sacks this season are second in the nation on a per-game basis (3.64).

The Wolverines have allowed three running plays of 20 yards or longer: a 20-yarder by Minnesota tailback Amir Pinnix, a 21-yard gain by Iowa quarterback Drew Tate and a 25-yarder by Ontario Sneed of Central Michigan in the second game of the season.

Put another way, in the last six games, no tailback has broken a big play against Michigan.

No one is more responsible for that than Woodley, a senior from Saginaw, Mich., and Lombardi Award finalist. Woodley leads the Big Ten with 11 sacks for 111 yards. The latter is a school record, the former is one short of the school record. He also has forced four fumbles, tied for first in the Big Ten.

"He can do it all as far as pass rush," Michigan right offensive tackle Rueben Riley said. "He can give you the bull [straight ahead]. He can go around the edge. It's troubling to figure out what he's going to do. That's what makes him good. When he's coming off that edge, it's a question mark. You don't know what you're going to get."

The 6-foot-2, 268-pound Woodley moved back and forth between linebacker and defensive end during his first three years at Michigan. He started two games on the line as a freshman on a Big Ten champion. As a sophomore, he made second-team all-conference as an outside linebacker and won Defensive Player of the Game in the Rose Bowl after making 11 tackles, four behind the line.

He played linebacker again as a junior, but moved back to the line last spring.

"Coach E [English] always asks me what I feel comfortable doing," Woodley said. "I just told him put me in a position where I can help this team win. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where."

His quickness and speed, along with the unusual athleticism of Taylor and Branch inside, allow the Wolverines to pressure opposing quarterbacks with a four-man rush. That makes the pass defense's job a lot easier.

There are other stars, of course. Corner Leon Hall, who was named a Nagurski Award finalist, is considered one of the top cover guys in the country. Harris, said English, "is just far and away the best linebacker I've ever been around, and I played with Hardy Nickerson [the five-time Pro Bowler with whom English played at the University of California]."

The battle within the battle of undefeateds Saturday at the Horseshoe will be the explosive Ohio State offense against this Michigan defense. Few teams have slowed down the Buckeyes. Fewer teams have moved the ball against the Wolverines.

Stop Ohio State, and Michigan will win the Big Ten and play for the national championship. Stop Ohio State, and knowledgeable people will speak of this defense forever.

Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Send your questions and comments to Ivan at ivan.maisel@espn3.com.

Yao Ming Is Now The Best Center In The NBA

2006-11-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

For years the best two centers in the NBA were Ben Wallace and Shaq. Yao Ming was a bust, a stick figure. Sure he was a good player, but not a great player. However this year he has been playing as he was expected to. So far this year, Yao is averaging about 25 pts, 10 rebs, and 2 blocks a games, a huge increase. The Rockets currently have a 5-3 record.

More importantly is how he dominated Shaq a few nights ago. The Rockets smacked the Heat 94-72. Yao shot 11 for 19, scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Shaq on the other hand was held to just 15 points and blocked several times by Yao.

Shaq is getting old, Ben Wallace is only a defensive players, so quite frankly, Yao is the best center not just in China, but in the world.

Tigers Deal For Sheffield

2006-11-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK (AP) -- Gary Sheffield left New York with what he wanted: a $28 million contract extension through 2009 and a promise that he wouldn't be playing first base.

Sheffield was traded from the Yankees to the Detroit Tigers on Friday for three pitching prospects in the first major trade of the offseason, a deal that brings him back to Tigers manager Jim Leyland and team president Dave Dombrowski.

"I was ecstatic because I get reunited with the people that I've always loved," Sheffield said. "They're business-minded. They're smart people. They're respectful people. They treat you like men. That's what you want to be around. To reunite with them after 10 years is a blessing."

New York gets right-handers Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett.

"I was trying to find something that would make the Yankee family happy and consequently that would make the Sheff family happy, so I think this worked in everybody's favor," New York general manager Brian Cashman said. "I had a number of deals on the table and this is the one I wanted."

In 1997, Sheffield won a World Series title for the Florida Marlins, managed by Leyland under Dombrowski, who was the team's general manager.

"This is one of the ultimate bats in baseball and one of the ultimate people in baseball," Leyland said. "I have the utmost respect for him. I can't tell you how happy we are. It's almost unbelievable. It's hard for me to believe that we landed Gary Sheffield."

Detroit and New York reached a tentative agreement on the deal Tuesday night, and the Tigers had a three-day window to agree to a contract extension. Sheffield and the Tigers agreed Thursday to the new contract, which includes some deferred money, and Sheffield took a physical Friday.

"It's unfortunate from the sense that Gary's a good friend," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "That's the part of the business you never get used to."

Sheffield, who turns 38 on Nov. 18, has 455 homers in 19 seasons but became superfluous in New York after the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu from Philadelphia in late July. Sheffield topped 34 homers and 120 RBI in each of his first two seasons with the Yankees, but missed most of 2006 with a wrist injury from an April collision with Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand.

"I'm happy it didn't drag out," manager Joe Torre said Friday night at a dinner for his foundation. "It just looked like it was getting uncomfortable for both sides. At least Gary's going back to the manager he won a World Series with and I know that Jimmy thinks very highly of him."

When Sheffield returned in late September, the Yankees shifted him to first base.

"I have no plans to play him at first base," Leyland said. "It might get on his mind and affect his hitting."

Leyland plans to use Sheffield primarily as a designated hitter as Detroit tries to repeat as AL champions and win the World Series for the first time since 1984. Sheffield also will be a backup to Magglio Ordonez in right and possibly to Craig Monroe in left.

"We have said all along that we wanted to add a big bat as one of our goals in the offseason," Dombrowski said. "As things turned out, we were able to do that in a very quick fashion."

Leyland said Sheffield would hit third, fourth or fifth.

"I made about 30 lineups out last night and I can assure you his name was in every one of them," he said.

New York exercised Sheffield's $13 million option last weekend to prevent him from becoming a free agent. Sheffield's first choice was to stay with New York and he said "middle men" on the Yankees blocked him from speaking with George Steinbrenner. Sheffield also said that if the owner's health wasn't an issue, he was confident he'd stay with the Yankees for 2007.

"The only thing I'm disappointed about is I didn't bring them a world championship," Sheffield said. "That was my sole reason for going there. I didn't go for the publicity of being a Yankee. I went for the big stage to win a ring."

The 23-year-old Sanchez was a combined 10-6 with a 2.53 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 123 innings with Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie this year. He is a hard thrower and was mentioned in trade speculation last summer before hurting an elbow.

"We're happy we're adding three quality arms to our system, hopefully we can use to out advantage and give us more depth and flexibility," Cashman said. "Sanchez obviously has a lot of potential. He has a lot of ability and we're planning on him going to spring training and hopefully take a lot of steps forward. We look at him as a long-term asset that hopefully we can cash in as early as '07."

Whelan, 22, was 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA and 27 saves for Class A Lakeland. Claggett, 22, was 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA and 14 saves for Class A West Michigan.

"We gave up a lot," Dombrowski said. "I winced."

Earlier this week, Sheffield had said he would retire if the Yankees sent him to a team he didn't want to be with.

"I've always said I want to go out on my terms and they allowed me to do that, and I thank them for that," he said.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

49ers May Leave San Francisco

2006-11-09T19:16:00.000-05:00

SANTA CLARA, Calif.(AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers intend to replace dingy Candlestick Park with a state-of-the-art stadium -- and now they want to do it in Santa Clara.

After years of planning for a stadium in the city that has been the franchise's home for six decades, owner John York officially changed his club's focus Thursday from Candlestick Point to this Silicon Valley suburb 30 miles south of San Francisco.

While insisting the 49ers will never leave the San Francisco Bay Area or change their name, York cited several factors that made it impossible to continue the team's planning for a stadium and an accompanying commercial complex -- which would help fund the arena's construction -- on a thin strip of land in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco.

York is determined to open the new stadium for the 2012 season. But he claimed an extensive study of the Candlestick Point site proved it wasn't feasible, citing extensive costs for infrastructure, parking accommodations and other changes that would cost more than the stadium itself.

"We truly wish that the results were different," said York, who wrested control of the storied franchise from his brother-in-law, Eddie DeBartolo, in the late 1990s. "We were the last to be convinced. We made this decision as a family, and in the end we were able to come to this conclusion by thinking about the challenges from the fans' perspective."

Just four months after claiming the team was concentrating all of its stadium efforts on that privately financed stadium and entertainment complex on Candlestick Point, York called San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday night and informed him of the decision.

Now the 49ers are headed for the open spaces and burgeoning population of Silicon Valley, currently home to only the NHL's San Jose Sharks among major sports franchises.

The Oakland Athletics also seem determined to follow the money to the Bay Area's financial epicenter. They're expected to announce plans soon for a stadium in Fremont -- about 20 miles from both Oakland and San Jose.

For practical purposes, the 49ers' proposed move 30 miles south in the Bay Area will make little difference to the club's fan base. The team's training complex and offices have been located on Santa Clara's Centennial Boulevard since 1987, across the street from an overflow parking lot for the Great America amusement park amid acres of industrial parks and apartments.

But the 49ers' identity will be forever changed if the club moves away from Candlestick Point and its dilapidated, wind-swept stadium -- the home to several of the most memorable playoff games in NFL history during San Francisco's run to five Super Bowl championships in the past quarter-century.

Before the 49ers moved to Candlestick Park on the waterfront near the southern boundary of the city in 1971, they played their first 25 seasons at Kezar Stadium, a charming, cramped field that still sits in the heart of San Francisco, just a short walk from the Haight-Ashbury district. Coach Mike Nolan saw his first 49ers games there when his father, Dick, ran the club.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

New NBA Ball - 1 Week Later

2006-11-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since the start of the NBA season and as expected there have been some controversies. The NBA made two big changes this off season, and I don't agree with either.

The new NBA ball has sparked hatred from many high profile players. "It's not a good basketball," the Cleveland Cavaliers' superstar forward said. "It kind of feels like a basketball you buy for your kids at Christmas or something."

When James first began practicing with the Spalding ball in training camp, he said there would be an adjustment period for players. He didn't envision it as being any kind of problem for the world's best hoopsters.

But after the season's first week, and following harsh criticism by Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and others, James, too, says the ball isn't up to standards.

"Sometimes it feels good, sometimes it doesn't," James said before Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. "It's got no consistency."

"You can shorten our shorts, tell us how to wear wristbands, things like that. Change the dress code. But the one thing we care about is the basketball," he said. "When you start changing the thing we play with every single day, it doesn't make sense to me -- at all."

The other big change is that players aren't allowed to show emotion, which has lead to a increase in technical fouls. This rule was aimed at players like Detroit Piston forward Rasheed Wallace, and in the 1st game, he received two technical fouls and was ejected.

James is also getting used to the NBA's new emphasis on stopping players and coaches from whining about calls. Referees aren't taking any lip, and if they hear or see too much, they're coming down hard.

"Technicals are being thrown like Peyton Manning passes," James said. "You have to watch you say and me being an emotional player, I've always been passionate about the game. So I've got to be cool."

To be frank, both of these changes are horrible, especially for the first few season after the changes. Eventually life goes on and players will get adjusted, commissioner Stern has said that the new ball "Is here to stay."

NFL Pro Bowl 2007 - Cast Your Vote Today

2006-11-06T19:05:00.000-05:00

You can now vote for the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl. http://nfl.com/probowl/ballot

My NFC Offensive Starters

QB - E. Manning
RB - T. Barber
WR - R. Williams
WR - T. Holt
TE - A. Crumpler
FB - M. Strong

My AFC Offensive Starters

QB - P. Manning
RB - L. Tomlinson
WR - M. Harrison
WR - A. Johnson
TE - T. Gonzalez
FB - L. Neal

Crazy Coincidence - 9/11 Linked To Cory Lidle Plane Crash

2006-11-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

The tragic plane crash of New York Yankees Pitcher, Cory Lidle took place on October 11, 2006.

Write out the date of the Cory Lidle plane crash (10/11/6) on a piece of paper.

Now turn the paper upside down, and what appears may shock you. You will now view 9/11/01 on the paper when it is flipped upside down, the date of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Peyton Or Brady - Preview OF NE @ IND

2006-11-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton's "First and 10" column takes you around the league, with a look at the best game of the week, followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 9.

First … Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

Last year was the first time the Colts showed they had caught up to or passed the Patriots.

Peyton Manning went to New England and beat the Pats 40-21. Bill Belichick went for it on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, signaling he knew the Colts were formidable. In Belichick's eyes, the Colts turned most possessions into points, so he had to do the same at all costs.

While the Colts scored a moral victory over the Patriots last season, it didn't change the big picture. The Patriots have three Super Bowl rings, and the Colts have none. Until the Colts get past the Patriots and all the other teams in the AFC to the Super Bowl, the Patriots hold the emotional edge in this conference. They have the rings. The Colts are still aspiring.

That's what's so fascinating about Sunday night's Colts-Patriots game in Foxborough. On paper, the Colts have caught up to the Patriots. They were unbeaten until the 15th week last season, and they are unbeaten this year. They can't fight the playoff fight until January, so the focus of Manning and the Colts is to use this as a test for the playoffs.

In many ways, the Colts continue to upgrade their roster with the Patriots in mind. They lost big games against the Patriots and others because of the inability to run successfully on goal-line and other short-yardage situations. So they let Edgerrin James go and drafted Joseph Addai in the first round. He's getting better and better every week.

Mike Vanderjagt is one of the most accurate kickers of his era, but Adam Vinatieri made more of the big kicks to win big games. Out goes Vanderjagt and in comes Vinatieri. Despite a groin injury, he hasn't missed a field goal and remains the sport's most clutch kicker.

While the Colts have major concerns about their run defense, they are at the top of their game because of Manning. He's getting better and better. Using the same plays he started practicing seven years ago, Manning carved up the best defense Mike Shanahan could offer in Denver.

The Colts scored on seven of nine possessions, taking advantage of the fact that the Broncos made a big mistake by not pressuring Manning. Manning faced only seven blitzes, so he had the time to wait for Reggie Wayne to break into the open on Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. It was like watching a surgeon operate.

Belichick won't be passive. He designs the most imaginative, defining offensive and defensive schemes in football. Look what he did Monday night. Even though the Patriots let go of better receivers than they kept this offseason, Belichick spread the field on offense and left the Vikings defenseless. It was masterful and brilliant. The Patriots blew out the Vikings with ease.

The great matchup is Manning versus Tom Brady. It's like the Joe Montana-Dan Marino debate that rarely played out on the field during their era. Manning is like Marino, the ultimate pocket-passing quarterback. He had all the stats for the Dolphins. Montana had all the Super Bowl rings. Too bad they didn't meet very often.

This will be the eighth meeting between Brady and Manning. Brady is 6-1. He's never really had the stats. Those have gone to Manning. Sunday night's game should give one of these teams the edge in the AFC pecking order, but in the big picture, it won't matter until the playoffs, where they have a chance to meet again.

Both teams are running away with their divisions. The Colts lead the Jaguars by three games. The Patriots hold a 2½-game lead over the Jets. There's a great chance they will be the top two seeds in the playoffs, so the winner of this game could have the crucial tiebreaker for home-field advantage.

Sure, the Colts have holes and Belichick will try to exploit them. Bob Sanders is still fighting knee problems at safety, and Mike Doss is out for the season. Brady will try to work the middle of the Colts' defense. Stopping the run is a big problem for Indianapolis, and the Patriots have evolved into more of a running team.

Still, this game comes down to who has the ball last in the final minutes of the game: Brady or Manning. It should be a classic.

Chad Johnson to cough up $5K for 'Ocho Cinco' stunt

2006-11-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

He lost his golden mohawk and now, unless Chad Johnson prevails on appeal, the colorful Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver is going to lose some pesos as well.

The league has fined Johnson $5,000 for wearing "Ocho Cinco" on a Velcro nameplate across the back of his uniform jersey before last Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. "Ocho Cinco," signifying his uniform No. 85, is the name by which Johnson said he wanted to be called the day leading up to the game.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported Monday evening that the league planned to fine Johnson.

Johnson wore the faux nameplate over his real surname on the uniform for pre-game warmups, and it was conspicuous when he met with Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, against whom he vowed to score two touchdowns, in practice. Just before kickoff, quarterback Carson Palmer ripped off "Ocho Cinco" nameplate, revealing "C. Johnson" on the back of the receiver's jersey.

It's expected that Johnson, who has been fined repeatedly in past seasons for his end zone choreography, will appeal the league's action.

The sixth-year veteran appeared at Wednesday's practice minus the mohawk he has been sporting since training camp. Johnson said last week that he would shave his head if he didn't score at least two touchdowns against the Falcons. He scored only once.

Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

NBA Reg Season Begins, But Does It Matter

2006-10-31T23:22:00.000-05:00

In my opinion the NBA regular season is a huge waste of time. We all know it will come down to 3 or 4 teams at the end, so why waist our time. Unlike the NFL, MLB, and NHL, in the NBA the underdog NEVER wins.

NFL last year wild card team wins Super Bowl.

NHL last year a #8 seed reaches the finals.

MLB this year 2 wild card teams play in World Series

NBA, well there was Miami, and Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix. AS EXPECTED

Who is the world saw the Tigers making it to the world series at the begging of the year, NO 1.

What are the chances of the Atlanta Hawks making it to the NBA finals, less than 0%.

The NBA should do a 6 team playoff between Detroit, Miami, Chicago, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, and all other teams can combine their players to make an all-star team.

End of rant

Canucks GM Nonis: League free agency 'a joke'

2006-10-31T23:20:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com news services

The Pittsburgh Penguins stand the possibility of losing two of the NHL's young rising stars when they turn 25 years old, and at least one league GM is not the least bit happy about it.

Under the terms of the current free agency model, Sidney Crosby, 19, and 18-year-old Jordan Staal, the Penguins' No. 2 pick in the June draft, could test the market when they turn 25. Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis blasted the notion Monday, calling the league's system "a joke."

"I think if you assemble a good team, fans want to see that team stick together for more than one or two years. Our current agreement does not lend itself to that," Nonis told the Canadian Press. "If you are a team that is struggling, it's a good thing, being able to get new faces. It helps generate interest in your market.

"If you are a team that is having a hard time holding your team together because of free agency and players are leaving, then it's not necessarily a good thing," Nonis added. "You may lose the continuity a lot of markets enjoy."

Pittsburgh announced Monday that it will keep Staal after debating whether to return him to his junior team in Peterborough, Ontario.

Nonis said increased free agency has helped to reduce the standard rebuilding time from a five-year span to a two or three-year span.

"The Detroit Red Wings could have a five-year run if they did a good job of recruiting, trading, drafting and developing," Nonis said. "You could keep those players together. You are going to see movement among players every single year. To me, that's the worst part of our agreement. Get used to it. It's not going to change."

Nonis also addressed other issues he has with the league, including its unbalanced schedule.

"I hate the schedule," he said. "It does nothing for us. We should play every team in the league at least once. We all pay the same dues, and right now the western teams are getting it right in the teeth for no good reason. We fly as much as we ever did and the eastern teams don't do a bloody thing."

The NHL contends that the scheduling was built to develop divisional rivalries.

Nonis disagreed.

"Rivalries are built through playoffs," he said. "I think a lot of teams want the schedule changed. I know the reasoning behind the schedule, I know why they did it. I don't necessarily agree that it is a good thing."

GMs are set to meet Nov. 7 in Toronto, and the league schedule may be up for discussion.

"I think the league always wants to do what's ultimately best for all the teams. I believe they'll revisit it," Nonis said. "Whether they'll change it, I don't know."

Information from the Canadian Press was used in this report.

NBA To Regulate Behavior Of Owners

2006-10-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

The NBA Board of Governors passed legislation today. It's purpose is to regulating the behavior of owners at games.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is directly related to Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Cuban, who has been fined more than a dozen times for over $1,500,000. Stern gave him no clear-cut answers as to the repercussions for owners who break the new code.

"When asked what the specifics of it were, the commissioner was unable to give any details," Cuban told the newspaper. "So I really don't know."

Cuban also believes that this new policy is targeted at him.

"Some owners don't like the way I do my business," Cuban told the paper, "except, of course, when their organizations ask me to come speak to their customers and season-ticket holders to help them sell tickets and suites."

As of now, there are no guidelines as to what or what no is acceptable under the new policy, so we'll have to wait for details.

In my opinion, the NBA is wrong. I am not a fan of Mark Cuban, but the fact of the matter is he is paying the players salaries and all the expenses for the team, and if he desires to be a part of the team rather than sit in a suit box wearing a suit like most owners, than whats the problem. Although he needs to stop his winning, did you see the series against San Antonio last year. It was clear the league didn't want to see the Spurs (or Detroit) in the finals again, because these teams are boring and dull to watch as they play suffacting defense.

NBA 2006-2007 Season Preview & Predictions

2006-10-29T23:15:00.000-05:00

I am hyped up for the 2006-2007 season, it is wide open for any team to win the championship. There are tons of questions we want answered, especially how will the new NBA ball effect the offensive stats.

My finals predictions - San Antonio over Chicago in 5 games

My Cinderella Team - Toronto Raptors

Most Disappointing Team - Detroit Pistons

For a more detailed preview for all 30 teams view http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2006/index.

NFL Week 7 Recap - Colts And Bears Remain Undefeated

2006-10-29T23:11:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts scored wildly contrasting wins on Sunday to remain the NFL's only unbeaten teams.

The Bears, coming off a bye week, flexed their muscles in cruising to a 41-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers while the Colts needed a last second field goal from the NFL's greatest clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri to escape with a dramatic 34-31 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Vinatieri's 37-yard field goal capped off a wild afternoon at Denver's Invesco Field, as quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts' high octane offense took on the Broncos' top rated defense that had allowed just two touchdowns in six games coming into Sunday's clash.

Manning was on target completing 32-of-39 passes for 345 yards, including three second-half touchdowns, all to Reggie Wayne.

But the Colts (7-0) still needed Manning to engineer an eight-play, 62-yard drive in the final minutes to set up Vinatieri.

Vinatieri, who booted two Super Bowl game-winning kicks for the New England Patriots before signing with the Colts in the off-season, continued to thrive under the pressure nailing the game winner with two seconds left on the clock to end Denver's 13 home game unbeaten streak.

SPUTTERING OFFENSE
Denver's (5-2) sputtering offense, which had failed to score more than 17 points in a game finally got untracked rookie running back Mike Bell rushing for 136 yards on 15 carries and a pair of touchdowns.

Quarterback Jake Plummer, who had come under increasing criticism for Denver's offensive shortcomings, also responded with a good effort connecting on 13-of-21 pass attempts for 174 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown toss to Javon Walker.

In Chicago, Rex Grossman threw three touchdown passes as Chicago raced to a 41-0 halftime lead then coasted to their seventh straight win.

It is the Bears' best start to a season since opening the 1985 campaign with 12 consecutive victories on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

The Bears were on the gas from the opening kickoff, Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones both running in for touchdowns while Grossman hit Muhsin Muhammad with a five-yard strike to help Chicago to 24-0 first quarter lead.

Grossman then connected with Desmond Clark for two more touchdowns in the second quarter to put the contest out of reach.

"It was amazing, 24 points in the first quarter. That's pretty impressive, it doesn't happen a lot," said Grossman, who enjoyed a brilliant day completing 23-of-29 attempts for 252 yards.
Alex Smith found Antonio Bryant with a touchdown strike late in the fourth quarter to account for San Francisco's (2-5) only touchdown.

In Oakland, the Raiders picked off four Ben Roethlisberger passes and returned two for touchdowns to claim a 20-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and send the reeling Super Bowl champions to their second straight defeat and fifth in six games.

After opening the season with five straight defeats the Raiders have now posted back-to-back wins improving their record to 2-5, to match the Steelers.

Roethlisberger, who was knocked out of last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons after sustaining a concussion, was sacked five times and had one interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Chris Carr and another sent back 24 yards by Nnamdi Asomugha for another score.

Sebastian Janikowski added a pair of field goals while the Oakland attack failed to score a touchdown.